Even though the first video game got invented in 1952, and was a rudimentary version of tic-tac-toe, gaming products, as we know them today, started to gain traction in the mid-1970s and achieved the height of their popularity in the 1980s. Yet, they died out in the early-1990s, with home consoles in suburban living rooms replacing vast areas with dozens of machines as the predominant video game pick.
Around the time that Sony released their first PlayStation console, the online gambling sphere was taking off. But, it wasn’t until the mid-2000s that online slots began to incorporate novel concepts that remained exclusive to the digital gaming sphere. Moreover, they also branched off into featuring various themes and started bringing established video game franchises into the slot fold. Below, we list the five best examples.
Street Fighter 2
Swedish game provider NetEnt has long carved out a reputation for being one of the most reliable reel-spinner providers in the online gambling sector. It now operates under the Evolution umbrella and is best known for its Starburst and Gonzo’s Quest games. In mid-2020, they unleashed Street Fighter 2 reel-spinner, based on the arcade classic of the same name. It is one of the most faithful slot adaptations ever, boasting graphics identical to the original machine and super complex gameplay.
Hitman
Regarding stealth third-person shooters, two franchises ruled the 2000s. These were Ubisoft’s Splinter Cell series and IO Interactive’s Hitman games. The latter’s initial title showed up on store shelves in November 2000, and it got its slot version seven years later, following the release of Blood Money, the fourth edition in the series. Published by Microgaming, the Hitman slot is a low-roller slot featuring a 5×3 layout and an RTP of 95.84%.
Tomb Raider
Newbie gamers likely are unaware of the impact that the first Tomb Raider title had on the video game industry. It got set loose in 1996 when the first real money online casino launched, and it introduced players to phenomenal 3D graphics for its time. Again, Microgaming was the one who decided to port this adventure franchise into the slotsverse by creating a branded Lara Croft-powered spinner. It is a low to medium variance slot with an RTP of 95.22% that still gets played today.
Worms
Ah, Worms, a success that few could predict. Worms is a series of artillery tactical video games whose concept got devised by Team 17 member Andy Davidson as a cross between Cannon Fodder and Lemmings. UK’s Blueprint Gaming was the one that saw reel-spinning potential in these video games and released their slot iteration in 2012, following it up with a sequel in 2016 titled Reloaded. Both are medium variance products with modest win potential.
Dota
According to many, Dota 2 is the deepest multiplayer action RTS game ever made. The first entry in the series, Defense of the Ancients, by Value, was a fan-developed multiplayer mod for Warcraft III in 2003. Little known provider Smartsoft Gamiing took up the challenge to switch Dota onto digital reels in 2019, with a slot featuring a gamble mini-game and a max bet size of $500.
